‘Splash’: The True Story Behind John Candy’s Hilarious Racquetball Scene

John Candy’s hilariously chaotic performance in Splash (1984), directed by Ron Howard, reveals what we already know: few actors could match up to Candy’s masterful comedic instinct.

In a few minutes of screen time, Candy delivered a performance that didn’t just become one of the highlights of the movie, but also one of the funniest comedy moments of the '80s. What appeared to be effortless on the surface is actually rooted in a behind-the-scenes story that perhaps makes the scene even more amusing.

One of the film’s most memorable sequences features John Candy as leading man Tom Hank’s beer-loving brother, Freddie Bauer, delivering consistent laughs in a racquetball scene that turned out to be unexpectedly authentic.

Let’s jump right in and explore how this scene was shot soon after an overnight bender that John Candy brilliantly carried into his performance.

The Racquetball Scene And The Mishap Before It

Audiences roared with laughter watching John Candy’s Freddie Bauer fall to the ground after taking a racquetball to the face. Only a few people know about the real-life bender that Candy went on the night before and how that influenced his performance.

As it turns out, before shooting the scene, John Candy and Jack Nicholson were out drinking and sharing stories about each other’s lives until 5 a.m. that morning. Needless to say, Candy was anything but a fresh and ready actor prepared to perform a scene when he arrived at the location. What he was, however, was perfectly hungover enough to turn an already chaotic scene even funnier.

Candy was still feeling the effects of his late-night out with Nicholson when he attempted to serve a racquetball. In the shot, the ball hits the wall and violently comes back toward him and smacks him right in the head. Candy’s reflexes were obviously still dulled. Functioning purely based on his instinct, he fell to the ground with a loud moan and an even louder thud. The result was a happy accident (not so happy considering how hard that ball hit the actor) that made the crew burst out laughing and left the viewers in stitches.

How John Candy Literally Leveraged A Hangover In His Performance

John Candy arrived on set hungover, tired, and sleep-deprived. Sure. But what’s most important for us to know here is that he was well aware of the nature of the scene he was going to shoot. Going back to how the scene begins, Candy clutches onto a beer and has a conversation with his brother, Allen, played by Tom Hanks.

By the time he takes the racquetball racquet, it is quite clear that Candy is not entirely in control. And truthfully, he wasn’t entirely in control. The scene became ridiculously honest and resulted in a pure moment of slapstick genius when Candy decided to leverage both the moment the ball hits his head and the hangover to create something that could only come from an actor’s instinct.

Think about it. He is supposed to play a shot. But the ball hits his head. In that moment, an actor could either let go and wait for a retake or use that moment to create something organic, genuine, and authentic. Candy masterfully turned his discomfort (from the night before and from the hit) into an even funnier performance.

When a great actor takes on a part, there is so much that they bring to a character that is not on the page. Few could do this as well as John Candy, especially in the comedy space. This was a scene that could only be elevated by an instinctive moment such as this one, and within those few seconds, Candy processed this and made the best use of what was essentially an accident.

How This Moment Captures John Candy’s Effortless Magic

The racquetball scene in Splash stands as a perfect example of why John Candy remains so beloved: his sheer willingness to embrace the unexpected, his total commitment to the character, and his fearlessness toward the art of improvisation.

Scenes like these set great performers apart from good performers because great performers are unafraid of tapping into their instincts or going off script. Deep down, they are so well-versed with the character that they know that their improvisation is also in line with what the character could do or is capable of doing. Their instinct is “informed” and not “random.”

John Candy, we can presume, never let his late-night experience hamper his work. In fact, he incorporated it into his performance, and by doing so, he behaved in an entirely professional manner and showed us his commitment to the craft.

Scenes like these tell us how John Candy wasn’t just an actor but a comedic force who could steal moments effortlessly, even when circumstances could have resulted in entirely the opposite. Long after his tragic passing, this small scene from Splash serves as a lovely highlight of his warmth, resilience, and most importantly, the power of his pure comedic instinct.

Summing It Up

John Candy’s unforgettable racquetball moment in Splash is much more than just a hilarious slapstick moment. It is a vivid reminder of the rare magic that happens when fine actors, who are fearlessly committed to their craft, tap into their instincts. Candy showed us that sometimes the best acting moments come not from escaping but from embracing the unknown.

Which is your favorite John Candy performance? Tell us in the comments below.